Safety interlocks are the mechanisms used in circuit breakers that coordinate its safety function with its operating function. The parameters and requirement of this coordination are dictated by the ANSI/IEEE standards C37. Specific to this scope, there are two types of interlock required; mechanical and electrical. Mechanical interlocking prevents the mechanical closing of the primary contacts unless the primary disconnecting devices are in full contact or separated by a safe distance. Electrical interlocking prevents electrical operating of the primary contacts into a closed position. Conventional interlocking can be achieved in many ways given the various input/output requirements of the system.
There is a need to provide a more robust mechanical interlock structure that requires few parts, is modular across replacement circuit breaker platforms and is cost-effective.